Vacuum cleaner



y 1931- BE. GUDKA 1,8051% VACUUM CLEANER Filed Aug 31. 1929 INVENTOR.

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ldflitlddd i m K if??? V ew, 1 n whit t P at? r Lbhn ELMEE 1E. GUDKA, f9? TOLEDQ, QHICS, ASSIGNOR T AIR-WAY ELECTRIG AEPLEANC' CORIPQBATIQN, 015 TOLEIDG, 035.10, A. GOBL 'QRATION Di? IDELAVffiLRE VACUTJM CLEANER .z'lpplication filed. August 32, 1929. Serial No. 389,68

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to vacuum cleaners, has more particular reference to vacuum cleaners of the type which are provided with inner and outer bags having mouths which are secured to a short tube adapted for separable connection with the discharge pipe from the machines fan casing, and its principal object is to provide improved means for attaching the neck or mouth of such inner bag to the tube or thimble embodied in such outer bag, the invention also'contemplating the use of an improved clamp for detachably securing such tube to such discharge pipe.

More specifically, the first of such improvements consists in the use of an annulus which is provided with lever means for contracting it around the included section of a paper neck arranged telescopically with reference to the thimble of the outer bag, such means being so constructed that the placement and removal of such neck is not only greatly faaccomplish, but also so constructed that damaging of the material of such neck is obviated and a leakrproof and stress resistant fit made easy to obtain. The second of such improvements resides in the employment of a toggle acting clamp for securing the outer end of the tube associated with the sustaining bag to the discharge pipe from the cleaners fan casing, this clamp taking the form of a bail adapted for coacting with a flange formed on such tube, and comprising also a lever for moving such bail into and out of operative relation to such flange, as well as a relative arrangement of such levers and bail which on the one hand simplifies the attachment and detachment of such tube, and which on the other hand provides for a clamping action of sufiicient strength to firmly secure the disclosed means constituting, however, but one oivarious mechanical forms in'which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a vacuum cleaner of the type to which the present invention relates; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating my invention as employed for holding the inlet neck of a paper liner in operative relation to the tube or": a confining bag; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a detached clamp of the kind shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic section showing the clamp of Fig. 3 as closed around a bag tube of the sort shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the clamp in open position.

The particular cleaner illustrated in the drawings consists of a Wheel supported floor tool 10, a lower handle 11, an upper handle 12, a valve chamber 13, a suction chamber 14, and a wheel carried motor housing 15. An oscillatable valve 16 is'so arranged in the valve chamber 13 that air may be sucked through either the lower handle or the upper handle, such air being finally discharged through the pipe 17. The air filtering and dust collecting receptacle associated with the discharge pipe 17 consists of an outer fabric bag 18 and an inner porous paper bag 19, the former having a mouth which is permanently attached to the tube 20 and the latter having a neck adapted for removably connecting with such tube 20. At its outer end, such tube has a flanged enlargement 21, and at its inner end a curved deflector 22, said first end being designed for releasably connecting with the discharge pipe 17 and said second end forming a seat for the neck 23. The outer bag has a closable opening (not shown) through which the inner liners may be in serted and removed, and its top edge is provided. with a plurality of eyes or the like 24, such eyes engaging with the handle hooks 25 when the assembled bag structure is attached to the cleaner in the manner shown in Fig. 1. As best shown in Fig. 2, the bag tube 20 has its lower end-connected to the discharge pipe 17, the enlargement of such tube telescoping with the projection 26 and its flange coacting with a gasket 27 which rests upon a second flange 28. For securing such tubes in connected relation a clamp 29 is provided, this clamp comprising an oppositely pivoted lever 30 and a pivoted bail 31, the former being adapted for moving the latter into and out of engagement with the flange 21. The locking action of this clamp is due to the pivots 32 passing the pivots 33 in such a manner that the resiliency of the bail becomes efiective to hold the operating lever against the outer surface of the pipe 17 and the semi-circular part of such bail a ainst the flange 21. An indexing tit 34 whic projects from the flange 21 is positionable in a notch 1n the flange 28, such means insuring correct allgnment of the respective tubes before the toggle clamp is operated to draw their flanges against the sides of the sealing ring 27.

For securing the neck 23 of the paper bag 19 in telescoped relation to the inner end of the tube 20, a clamp 35 is provided, such clamp being constituted of a band 36. Ad acent one end, such band is formed with a plurality of fingers 37, these being bolted or otherwise secured to the tube 20 in such a manner that the neck to be fastened can be slid past the lower edge of the main part of the band and an adequate gripping section thereby obtained. In order to provide a funnel-like guide for facilitating placement of the neck 23, the indicatededge of the band 36 is desirably formed'with a multiplicity of small fingers 38, such fingers being flared outwardly in the manner shown. To one end of the band 36, a lever 39 is pivoted and to its other end a link 40 is pivoted; in the former case a pin passes through aligned recurved tubes on the ends of the connected parts, and in the latter case the end section of the band is simply bent around an enclosed part of the link. The projecting arms of the link 40 are journalled upon pins 41, such pins projecting laterally from the sides of the lever 39. The band 36 is desirably formed of spring steel or the like and its ends are preferably set in such a manner as to have a natural tendency to spring outwardly and away from the tube 20, such 0- sition being shown in Fig. 5. Also, the f ingers 37 preferably have a slightly angular set so that the part of the band to which they connect will likewise have a tendency to spring away from the tube 20. Accordingly, when the clamp is in its open or expanded position, an annular space of ample size to permit of the free and unobstructed passage of the neck of the paper bag will be afiorded. After a paper bag has been inserted within the outer cloth bagand its neck positioned around the tube 20, the lever 39 may be moved into the position shown in Fi 2, 3 and 4, this resulting in contracting the and and firmly gripping the included part of such neck. As the lever 39 is rigid m'comparison with the band 36 and its body slightly curved, the pivot axis of the link arms will be carried past the pivot axis of the free end of the band in the manner shown in Fig. 4, this producing a tog le action which will efiectively prevent accidental opening-of the clamp and at the same time allow of such manipulation as is necessary when placing or removing the included sections of the inner bag necks.

From the above description, it will be apparent that my invention provides simple and effective means for performing their various functions; devices which can be cheaply manufactured and easily attached; operating means which make for easy and expeditiously eflt'ected connections; and a complete assembly which in addition to being mechanically satisfactory is of such character as to not detract from the appearance of the machine as a whole. It will be understood that in many respects the particular construction illustrated and described can be changed for adapting the clamping means to other purposes and uses, and that if desired the ba neck holdin means may be partially enclose by a skirt or protecting the adjacent areas of the outer bag from wear and abrasion by the metal parts of the clamp.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may e employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinlctlf claim as my invention a vacuum cleaner, the combination of an outer bag having a tube, an inner ba having a neck adapted for telescopin with such tube, and means for holding suc neck in said telescoped relation; said means ineludingv a band having an outer flared end.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of an air-conducting tube, a bag having a neck adapted to telescope with such tube, and means for holding such neck in such telescoped relation; said means comprising a band having parts attached to such tube, other parts adapted for contracting around such tube, and a flared end for facilitating the placement of such neck.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of an air-conducting tube, a paper bag ada ted to connect with such tube, and means or effecting such connection; said means including an expansible band, and fin ers for attaching such band integrally t ereto, said fingers having parts with an angular set to normally hol a part of such band in spaced relation to such tube.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of an air-conducting tube,'a paper bag ada ted to connect with such tube, and means or securing such bag in said connected rela- 7 tion; said means comprising a band havinga link pivoted to one of its ends, a lever pivoted to the other of its ends, said lever also pivoting to said link whereby to form a con tractible and expansible ring, and a funnelpansible ring, and a funnel-shaped guide on the outer periphe of said band composed of a multiplicity o flared fingers.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a means for securing a filter bag to the discharge ipe, said means comprising a band having attaching said band, said fingers being integral thereto, having parts with an angular set to normally holda part of such band in spaced relation to said tube, and a link pivoted to one of the ends of said band, .a lever pivoted to the other of its ends, said lever also pivoted to said link to form a contractible and expansible ring, and a funnel-shaped guide on the outer periphery of said band composed ofa multiplicity of flared fingers.

Signed by me, this 27th day of August,

1929. Y E I; R E GKA.

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